Well I guess we must have our coverage of the Mariner East 2 debate just about right.
Both sides are unhappy with us.
As you might expect, the company is not especially thrilled with how much coverage we've given the concerns raised in the community about the pipeline that will run from Ohio, through West Virginia, and finally span Pennsylvania, including 11.7 miles across Delaware County. It will deliver hundreds of thousands of barrels of Marcellus Shale byproducts such as ethane, butane and propane to Marcus Hook.
In short, I get the impression the company believes all this unrest in the community is being trumped up by a few fairly vocal opponents. They point out that the company's old original Sunoco pipeline system already is delivering the same materials to Marcus Hook now. And they are pushing a study that was done after concerns were raised out in West Goshen that supports the company's claims.
Now the local activists are ticked because we ran a story detailing the company's side of the issue - after we had run a dozen or more stories detailing the community opposition. They believe it was little more than a puff piece of good PR for the company.
Today we also weighed in on our editorial page.
I will make the same statement I have been making now for months. I think Mariner East 2 easily could be the most important economic story in the region.
The proposal has a huge upside, with the potential for hundreds of good-paying jobs. It could make Marcus Hook, which was on its death bed when Sunoco shut down its refinery, the energy hub for the entire Northeast.
That said, I don't think I'd want it running through my back yard, or within a stone's throw of my kid's elementary school.
If you think that's middle of the road, there's a reason for that. It is.
Middeltown Township council likely next week will approve a new study to look at the impact of the pipeline. I think it's a good bet some public hearings will be held as well.
Get used to hearing about it. This story is not going away anytime soon.
Read the editorial here.
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